With the 53rd pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, the Minnesota Timberwolves select...............Nikola Jokic, C from Serbia
Birthday: 2/19/95
NBA Position: PF/C
Class: International
Ht: 6-11
Wt: 255
Wingspan: 7'3"
Standing Reach: 9'3”
Team: Mega Vizura
Hometown: Sombor, Serbia
DraftExpress article snippet during the World Select Team's practice in April 2014: Jokic, an exceptionally unique player, has an advanced feel for the game, recognizing the open man when the defense breaks down, and while he isn't very explosive and needs to get stronger, he has been easily the most productive player over the last two days thanks to his shooting ability and footwork in the post. Although he's gotten his shot blocked on a couple occasions, his footwork and instincts in the post have allowed him to find his angles to get his shot off or draw contact in close. He's such an unconventional and creative finisher that you never quite know what kind of trick he will try to pull off, which has left many rotating defenders baffled, while old-school NBA lifers just shake their heads and smile. Considering he was a relative unknown only a little over a year ago, Jokic has made a very strong impression to this point, and could gain plenty of traction among scouts if he can ride this momentum to a strong performance against the stacked US frontcourt on game day.
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Minnesota Timberwolves:
C: N. Pekovic / K. Koufos / R. Turiaf / N. Jokic
PF: Z. Randolph / G. Dieng / J. Stokes
SF: N. Batum / C. Brewer / T. Antetokounmpo
SG: D. Green / S. Muhammed / A. Shved / K. Bazemore
PG: R. Rubio / C. McCollum / K. Marshall
Future draft picks: '15 1st (Spurs, unprotected), '15 2nd (Spurs), '15 2nd (Nuggets), '17 2nd (Pelicans), '19 1st (Lakers, unprotected). Also have all of their own future draft picks except '15 2nd that was previously traded before this Mock Draft.
